I wonder if the casting director got you confused with someone else.

I feel like I’d remember that. I remember auditioning for Les Miserables, but I don’t think I auditioned for Mamma Mia! But hey, I’d love to see the tape if it exists.

You recently said that Sofia wrote a script for you to star in that will shoot next year. I know you can’t share any specifics, but I wanted to ask three yes-or-no questions: are you playing a real person?

Yes, but not someone who I’d consider famous.

Photo: Getty Images

Is it a period piece?

Yes.

Is it going to shoot in the United States?

Yes. I think she’d be okay with me sharing that?

I don’t wanna get you in trouble with Sofia.

Can you imagine? I can’t even picture her raising her voice. But I know she’s writing something else too, so we’re not quite there yet in terms of a start date.

It’s a very creatively interesting moment in your career—The Power of the Dog, Civil War, Roofman, and your next film The Entertainment System Is Down are all character-driven, non-IP films with filmmakers who all have very different styles. What’s your guiding force as an actor these days, when it comes to choosing projects?

I really wanna do a comedy next. Right now I’m just in a spirit where I wanna do stuff that’s fun and light-heard again, like Drop Dead Gorgeous. But at the same time, I’m always gonna be director-driven. If someone great called me tomorrow and said, “I want you to play this person who’s really down in the dumps,” I’d happily do that. I’m always up for a challenge.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.